Face to Face
by Melicress
Summary: You've seen the "Kira got captured by ZAFT" stories, but what if Athrun was captured by the EA? Rated for violence, sensitive subject matter, and language.
1. Intro

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Gundam Seed, this story would be published, now wouldn't it? I own nothing but my pitiful attempt to alter the plot to gain amusement.

**Warning: **I hate the introduction, but it's necessary to provide background to you people. Otherwise, you'd all be like "WTF IS THIS?" and leave. That make me sad...

**Have fun, and have a glass of milk! ****You only get cookies if you review!**

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**Prologue**

The battle was brutal. The Blitz, Buster, Duel, and Aegis all against the Strike. Kira had fought desperately to protect the Archangel, trying not to think of the stubborn pilot behind the mask of the Aegis. At a 1 to 4 probability, no one had expected the outcome.

"Athrun!" Nicol yelled sharply, drawing Yzak and Dearka's attention. The Strike and the Aegis had engaged in a fight not too far from the Archangel. It was meant to be a distraction so that the other three could move in closer. With the ship destroyed, it would be easier to take out or capture the Strike. Such was the logic of Commander Creuset. However, it had not gone as planned.

Predictably, Athrun was deeply distressed over having to face off his childhood friend like this. While he was trying to convince Kira to stop fighting along the Naturals, Athrun also had to make it look like he was actually fighting the Strike, so people like Yzak wouldn't question his loyalty. Overwhelmed by all the unfolding events, Athrun drifted closer and closer to the Archangel. Not concentrating on the surrounding fire, Athrun had turned his back to the port side laser cannon. Inside the ship, the Lieutenant recognized this as a great advantage, and ordered the cannon to be fired. Needless to say, the beam found its target.

"Athrun!"

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Author's Note: NAHAHA! Okay, so the story is not written in the boring, non-graphic way that the introduction is. This is just so you know the important stuff. It gets MUCH more descriptive, and follows a more fictional style of writing. Please keep reading, and offer me CONSTRUTIVE criticism cuz' I really don't know how to write fanfiction.bangs head on wall SHUT UP! Shutting up now XD

Melicress


	2. Chapter 1: Unexpected

**Disclaimer: **Would I be sitting here in my cluttered room in the dark typing if I owned Gundam Seed? Probably, but I still don't own it.

**Warning: **Violence against Athrun, obviously, and mild swearing.

**Cookies :D- **LiuBei1986- YAY:D Constructive! I like advice! _worships_ Thanx! Here's your cookie! _hands you thick fudge chunk cookie and tops off your milk _

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**Chapter One: Unexpected**

He could hear an alarm, blaring loud in his ear. He could feel the scratchiness of his mobile suit against his tense fingers. He could see lights, with little flecks of red blotting them, and a huge window reaching out into the abyss of space. It was funny that he could see, hear, and feel all these things, and still not be able to feel his legs.

Athrun could recall Kira's stubborn face through the fuzzy communication screen, shouting that he would not join ZAFT, and had people on that ship he needed to protect. There were innocents on that ship. Athrun blinked, his vision blurring. But when had everything gone numb? When had the taste of metal filled his mouth? When had... his mind trailed off as a wave of pain coursed through his body, causing him to cough violently. Blood surged into his mouth, trailing down his chin. _What? What's happening? _Very distantly, out of the corner of his mind, he could here a voice frantically calling his name. "Athrun! Athrun!" _Nicol_

Kira watched in mute horror as a beam of fluorescent green shot through the bottom half of the Aegis. All he saw was a look of surprise and terror on Athrun's face before glass and metal flew up to obstruct the screen. _Noo_ Tears welled up in his eyes. _Why? _His alarm sounded as the Blitz dashed towards him. Startled by the noise, Kira readied himself to fight, but the black Gundam flew right past, flying towards the Aegis. Trying to weave through the bits of metal, the Blitz, reached out to grab the cockpit, but was stopped short, as rapid fire missiles hit its arm. It retreated back a bit, and was quickly joined by the Duel and the Buster. They wove back and forth in front of Kira, trying to decide what to do. _Why you, __Athrun_

"Shit shit shit shit shit!" shouted Yzak. Nicol stared blankly at his hands, shocked at his foiled attempt to save Athrun. Dearka was analyzing the ship, trying to decide how to get closer. "Now what?!" Yzak barked to no one in particular, "How did this happen?! Damn you Athrun!" Nicol flinched. Yzak was getting pretty angry to be cursing a fallen soldier like that. _Was he? _Nicol shook his head. _No, most of the cockpit was in okay shape, so possibly. _He felt slightly queasy. He focused back on the situation. The Strike and the ship were obstructing their way. To get to Athrun, they would have to go around. The Strike wasn't making any moves yet. Nicol squinted tears from his eyes, trying to gain control. There was also the mobile armour to consider. Nicol was fairly certain it was engaging the Vesalius. Just when he had that thought, there was a massive explosion from behind.

"The Vesalius!" Dearka exclaimed, turning his Gundam back to their ship. The mobile armour had broken through the rage of fire and managed to hit the main engine. It was smoking, and sinking fast. Rau Le Creuset's face flashed up on their monitors. "Return at once." He commanded sharply, "We seem to have underestimated our enemies." Nicol's heart nearly stopped. "But sir!" he protested, "Athrun..."

"He's dead."

"But!"

"Leave him!"

The Commander flashed off the screen. Nicol could feel the bile rising in his throat. _First Rusty, then Miguel, now..._ The retreat flares flew up from the ship. It was time to go. Yzak appeared on the monitor. "Nicol?" Nicol exhaled sharply, biting back a sudden uprising of tears. "Let's go" he replied quietly, turning away from the pile of metal that was the Aegis.

The enemy was retreating. Muww had definitely scored a hit. But it didn't matter. It was all too late. He tasted salt, and felt the tears flow down his cheeks. _What did I do? _His own ship flew up a retreat signal, and Muww came up on communications. "Hey kid! Good job! You got one!" Kira flinched and turned away. Muww frowned. "Kira?"

"Muww..."

"Yes?"

"Can we, take this aboard?"

"What?"

"Please..."

Muww looked at Kira, regretting his words. He had forgotten that Kira was only a civilian, not a soldier. He was a teenager, for God's sakes! And he had just killed a man. Muww felt a wash of guilt. "Uhh..." He looked up at the other communicator screen, where Murrue was watching him. She too had an uncomfortable look on her face. "Captain?" Stiffly, she nodded her head. The pilot probably didn't survive anyway, and they should pick up the machine. It was their equipment, after all.

"Bring it onboard."


	3. Chapter 2: So Young

**Disclaimer: **I own NOTHING! ZIP! If you still think I gundam seed, you need to brush up on ur readin' skills!

**Warning: **BLOOD DESCRIPTIONS! (for you squeamish people) and no Kira (see Author's Note)

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**Review and you shall get cookies too :)**

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**Chapter 2: So Young**

Muww La Flaga watched as the repair team dragged in the broken mobile suit. He didn't quite understand what they were going to accomplish by bringing it aboard. He knew there were going to be questions asked once they reached Artemis. What would they say? That an unauthorized teenager piloting the Strike had asked them to? Muww shook his head. They had to bring it on. The kid just looked so sad and afraid. Even if he was a Coordinator, he still had feelings. And he was just so young. _It's not fair that he had to do that, _Muww thought, _This small request is probably the only thing we can could do to repay him._ He alternated his weight between each foot, swaying from side to side. _But still..._ He heard a loud clank and turned to look back at the crew. They had managed to place the bits and pieces that were intact into roughly the place they would have been were the machine intact. The upper parts of it were in okay condition, most of them broken into fairly large bits, but the bottom was almost completely destroyed. There were huge gaps where the crew had just given up on trying to get all the pieces from the floating debris of the battle. However, there was one major part that stood out as mostly undamaged. The cockpit.

Muww frowned. How was that even possible? The beam struck right where the cockpit was, or, was supposed to be. He walked over as they were prying the hatch open. _Was it possible that the pilot survived? The bottom was buckled and ripped a bit, so maybe... _Muww instantly felt disgusted with himself. He was actually hoping that another person, another human being, was dead. What had he become? _Just like that man, I too am being corrupted. _Muww's thoughts were interrupted as the mechanics managed to pull the door open. He put on his soldiers face and pushed lightly through to see what had become of the pilot of the Aegis. He had to know.

What he saw shocked him. The controls and screens were all splashed with blood. The pilot was propped up slightly on the side, the left part of his helmet completely crushed where it must have hit the wall. His head was hanging, concealing his face, but red leaking down from strands of midnight hair suggested a head injury. His hands were slightly bent, still clutching the main controls. The metal underneath him had split open, entangling his legs and slicing open his flight suit. The bottom was practically filled with blood, oozing and congealing as it was exposed to the air. The crew watched on in silence as Muww climbed slightly into the cockpit, reaching to pull the pilot out. To his great surprise, when he touched the arm of the "dead" pilot he let out a soft and long moan.

Athrun blinked. There was light now. Too much light. It burned his eyes. He tried to move, but something was stopping him. Right across his shoulders, giant plastic straps. He frowned. They were there for a reason. He just couldn't remember for what reason. His head spun. Where was this light coming from? It wasn't directly ahead, but it wasn't directly above either. He tried to focus his eyes, but found he didn't have any control. _What? What's happening?! _His heart started to race. He was terrified. He struggled to move, but the paralysis that seemed to run up his body refused to let up. A shadow moved into the blinding light. _Now what? _Athrun was so confused. He really wished it would just all stop. Or at least that something would let him know what was going on. He felt a weight on his wrist and a slight tug. He groaned involuntarily as pain shot up from the spot. All his nerves seemed to be hyper sensitive, even though he had no motor control. The weight was released on his arm. The shadow shifted, and he could hear startled murmuring from somewhere beyond the light. He could feel a light brush of fabric, and the shadow appeared again, reaching for his neck. Athrun gasped and tried to turn away, but found again that he could not. The shadow began to take a shape. The shape of a hand. Athrun felt a scream rise up in his throat as the hand rested a finger on his chin.

But instead of encircling his neck and suffocating him like he thought it would, it carefully lifted up his chin to meet the face of the shadow. A sad looking face with azure eyes and short gold ringlets. A low voice came from the man, but to Athrun the words did not seem to match up with the movements of his mouth. Almost like the words were said before the mouth moved. "So young..." He saw the eyes turn away and heard a commanding shout. An obedient reply was returned, and the man turned back, meeting Athrun's eyes again. "You are aboard the Earth Alliance Ship the Archangel," the man said quietly, obviously making an effort to make sure that Athrun could understand, "We're not going to let you die, but you still are a prisoner of this vessel. Do you understand?" Athrun didn't even bother trying to nod. Instead he gave the man a suitable glare for an enemy, even though his heart rate was still rising. The man's mouth quirked into what might have been a nervous smile, but his eyes still showed sadness and worry. Why was this man worried about him? He was a member of ZAFT, and the man was a member of the Earth Forces. That man should have killed him once he found that Athrun was still alive. _Why?_ He stopped as another wave of pain coursed through him, making the pinpricks of light spread on his eyes. The last thing he saw was the blonde curls and bright blue gaze of the Earth Alliance soldier.

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Author's Note: Kira will appear in the next chapter. I know he wasn't in this one and I'm sorry, but the end of the chapter would have been messed up if I put his part in here. :(

Question-why did some people think that Athrun was going to die? Some of my friends thought it too. That would make a very short ending:

They opened the cockpit. The pilot was dead in a massive pool of blood. Kira saw and was traumatized from seeing his childhood friend dead. He wept uncontrollably for days on end. The end.

:D

Another note: i'm sorry. I'm really hyper so i must write this.

Muww La Flaga's thoughts when "dead" Athrun moans- AAUUUGGHHH! ZOMBIE!

Ahahaha, i kills meself XD


	4. Chapter 3: Welcome Aboard

**Disclaimer: **Cat-owners don't have time to own anything else, so I don't own gundam seed.

**Warning: **Despite my friend's repeated insistence, this is NOT yaoi or shounen-ai! Geez, all they're doing is talking! No real action in this chapter, sorry. Also, I thought this was much longer when it was in Word, but it's really not that long. _is no longer proud _:( I'll try harder on the next chapter.

**COOKIES :D****-Leebat, reckless-rage, choclatbandit, and of course, Prince-in-Disguise and thegreatwhitewolf all get cookies! If I didn't send you your cookie, send a message telling me to cough up, and i will :) (been absentminded lately. Can't remember if i sent all of you cookies or not)**

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**

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**Chapter 3: Welcome Aboard**

Kira floated outside of the Archangel, helping the maintenance crews repair the hull of the ship. Muww had requested he do it because "they needed to make sure the mechanics were safe". Kira, however, knew that it was just a ploy to keep him away from the Aegis. To keep him from seeing the horror of the incident that had occurred. _Athrun_He knew that Athrun was an enemy. He knew that everyone aboard that ship needed him. _But still..._ He tossed his head from side to side, trying to shake the awful feelings welling up inside him. He heard a soft click, and looked up. Muww La Flaga's face had appeared on the right hand screen. "Kid? Hey, nice job on helping the maintenance crews! You really sped things up! You can return now." Muww emphasized the command by waving his arms in a forward motion. Kira looked straight into Muww's eyes, his own amethyst ones showing dull sadness. "That pilot, is he..."

"Kira..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry we put you through all this. I just wanted to say that we really appreciate it."

"You're avoiding the question."

Muww sighed.

"He's injured badly. I have received the Captain's orders to have him treated and kept as a prisoner and possibly a hostage."

Kira couldn't imagine his childhood friend injured. Athrun had always been a strong individual, not afraid to fall out of trees or climb the craggy cliffs when they lived on the moon. _How could he be?_

Muww was looking at Kira, obviously concerned. Kira turned away from the monitor. He didn't understand why these things were happening. The Athrun he knew was kind. The Athrun he knew was compassionate.

_"I __already lost my mom at the Bloody Valentine. That's why..." (1)_

Why did he have to go and change all of a sudden? The death of his mother? The sorrow that followed? What had made Athrun Zala bitter enough to join ZAFT?

_"You'll eventually come to the PLANTS too, right __Kira__?" (2)_

"Kira?" Muww sounded uncertain over the intercom, "It wasn't your fault! You had to protect this vessel! You had no other choice! The pilot isn't even dead!" _Yet._Kira and Muww's miserable thoughts echoed each other. Kira grunted in reply. "Yet still, that other pilot. I killed that one. Just because someone isn't dead, doesn't mean that I didn't pull a trigger." (3)

Athrun opened his eyes again, and found a total change of surroundings. It was still very bright, but it didn't seem to be as piercing as it was before. The strange shadowed man was gone, and he had a vague sensation on his upper back that suggested he was lying down. Everything tingled, and he still couldn't really focus his eyes. There was a tall stand with what seemed to be a bag of red liquid at the top. _Where am I? _He tried to figure out if he had regained any motor control. He could wiggle his fingers and shift his arms, but there seemed to be something across his chest that was preventing him from moving. He tried to lift his neck to take a better look, but found that it was strapped down too. The only way he could look over in that direction at all was by lowering his lashes as far as they could go. From the restricted and some-what blurry view that he had, he could see that there were numerous things stuck in his legs. They all looked like a massive blue and grey blob, but he could see faint contour lines that suggested the shape of tubes. He started to panic, and clenched his fists. A beeping sound that seemed like it was only white noise before sped up and sounded louder. As if responding to the noise, a door slide open and admitted three men, two in white coats, and one in what seemed to be a pink jumpsuit. Athrun squinted at them as they came closer, thinking that he recognized one of them. As they got within his focus range, he could here the pink man say something to him. "Athrun Zala?" He let out a small gasp. The man in the pink suit was the man he had seen before. The man with sapphire eyes.

Muww would never forget the look on the pilot's face when he lifted his chin. Two cloudy emerald eyes alight with pure terror, nearly filled with tears. _Such a young man.__Too young to be fighting battles like this.__ Just like __Kira_ The teen had actually nearly screamed when Muww reached his hand towards him. A Coordinator, a genetically enhanced super-being, was afraid of him. It sure gave a different view on things. He himself had helped move the boy onto a stretcher and carried him down to the infirmary. "That pilot has lost a lot of blood," one of the doctors informed Muww, "If he wasn't a Coordinator, I would have declared him lost already." When they had torn off the boy's flight suit, they had discovered many things. On the rank tag in the front, it had said Athrun Zala, Rau Le Cresuet Team, Red Suit Elite. That would make him the son of Patrick Zala, a Chairman of the PLANTS. It would mean that they could use him as a hostage against ZAFT. However, it could also mean that he was a very dangerous high-trained individual who would probably escape with ease at the first possible chance. Muww proceeded into the room carefully, along with two medics, trying not to make to much noise. As he turned his eyes onto the bed where they had placed the kid, he noticed that he was awake.

The teen was looking at the straps in confusion, and had clenched his hands into fists. His eyes were shimmering pools of green, reflecting fear and sadness. Muww was unsure of what he should do. Now that the pilot was awake, it was a sure danger that he could escape. But on looking at the slightly trembling figure tied down to the bed, Muww seriously doubted that this person was able to do anything right now. Hesitantly, he walked over the cot. "Athrun Zala?" The boys face turned, and he let out a small gasp. Muww could see recognition click in the mind of the soldier. _He remembers me._"That is your name, right?" The boy's eyes narrowed. He nodded, his neck strained by the strap reaching across it. Muww felt his breath catch. _It seems nametags don't lie. _"Do you know where you are?" Athrun glared at him, nodding again. Muww felt a flash of amusement. _I__ have to admire this kid's attitude. Captured and bleeding and still able to shoot dirty looks. _Smirking, La Flaga leaned in a bit closer, his eyebrows shifting. "One more question, are ya mute?" Athrun looked greatly offended and shocked by the sudden playfulness of Muww. "No!" he protested loudly, then looked surprised at his own outburst. The youth scowled and stared at the ceiling, obviously resorting to the "I'm ignoring you" approach. Muww stifled a snigger. At least he managed to lighten the mood a bit. "I'm Muww La Flaga. Welcome aboard the Archangel, ZAFT pilot."

Kira paced the main deck above the mobile suits. The work crews were still hauling the broken pieces of the Aegis into arrangement, deciding exactly what to do with each piece. Captain Rameus had said that she wanted all the equipment they had as functional as they could get it. Even if it had been in possession of ZAFT, it was still an Earth Forces machine. He sighed. There was no way they could put it back together. Thinking that they could was woefully optimistic. He leaned on the metal railings, letting it cool his hot skin. _Athrun__, why you? _He looked at the broken parts of the Aegis that were put in a pile, the parts that couldn't be fixed. _Can I fix you, __Athrun__? Or are parts of you beyond repair as well?_

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1-Quote from Phase 05: "Phase Shift Down" 

2-Quote from Phase 01: "False Peace"

3-This is referring to Miguel, who he shot a boomerang at. (don't say he didn't use a trigger, because he probably did, cuz' it's inside a mobile suit. I just can't quite remember.)

The nametags don't lie thing is a weird quote from the story that is my life. :D Just random fact!

Wowness, for once I had real author's notes. I have one question. After reading this over, I'm wondering, was La Flaga a little OOC? Just wondering...


	5. Chapter 4: Why?

**Disclaimer: **You still reading these? You still unconvinced that I'm not trying to claim anything? Get some therapy! Paranoid! I still don't own gundam seed!

**Warnings: **My sister says to warn Athrun fans with pacemakers. Apparently one part is a bit intense.

**Note: **Notice the word "fatherly" when you read this. It's not shounen-ai or yaoi! (i have weird friends o0)

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**Chapter 4: Why?**

Athrun Zala stared at the door that Muww had gone out of in disbelief. _Was that guy poking fun at me? That guy was poking fun at me! _He scowled. How unprofessional was that? He tugged lightly on his arm straps, letting the leather leave little prints in his skin. _They do seem to kno__w how to tie a person up, though__. Not like I could escape__ with my legs in this condition. _He sighed, defeated. For now, at least. Squinting in the fluorescent lights, Athrun tried to clear his head. It was better now, but he still had fuzz on the edge of his vision, and it was still throbbing in places. Closing his eyes, Athrun focused on his legs.

He hadn't tried moving them yet, but part of him knew that if he had control over them, he should be in a whole lot more pain right now. Fighting against the neck strap to get a better view, he caught little glimpses of what the tubes and cords were doing. One of them was pumping blood through what he guessed was a severed vein. Some of the cords were simply supporting them, holding them just above the surface of the bed. The white and pale grey blobs he had seen earlier looked more like bandages now, flecked with little dots of red. Athrun concentrated every ounce of his willpower on his legs, and soon came to one horrible conclusion.

He could not move them.

He felt his heart rate rising, and his vision started to spin. _I'm __not,__ I'm not going to be crippled!_ He closed his eyes and choked a bit. _I'm not I'm not I'm not! _He could hear the steady beep of the heart rate machine speed up considerably, and soon a little flashing red light turned on near his head, letting out a soft alert. The sounds soon became muffled, as if they were coming from inside a glass jar. _I'm panicking. I have to calm down; otherwise I'll go into shock. _Athrun tried taking deep breaths, trying to slow his heart rate down, his soldier brain taking over. It didn't help. The sounds became more muffled, and he could hear hurried steps and quick conversing voices. His eyes clouded up even more. _Too late, I'm already in shock. _The world slowly dissolved, and Athrun exhaled as the machine flat-lined, emitting a loud, resounding beep.

Kira walked slowly down the hallway, lost in his own thoughts. He had chosen to take the hallway that he knew would have the least people in it. He didn't think that he could face anyone right now. Dragging his hand along the seams of metal, Kira looked out the plexi-glass windows at the twinkling stars. _What am I doing here? _He shook his head and turned down another corridor, quickening his pace, trying to outrun the thought. He whipped around a couple more corners, then stopped, breathing heavily. Looking around, he realized that he was in a hallway that he had never seen before. Suddenly curious, he walked down to the sliding doors. Raising his head up to read the plaque above the door, he emitted a small gasp.

Infirmary one.

_Isn't that where they're keeping __Athrun? _He let his hand hover over the motion sensor for the door. He wanted to go inside, yet he didn't want to go inside. _What can I say to you, __Athrun__? What will you do? _He retracted his hand, backing away from the door. He couldn't. Not now. He just wasn't ready. Kira turned, his eyes still on the door. He started to walk away, but was stopped abruptly as a female doctor crashed straight into him.

"Moron! Get out of the way! Move!"

Kira blinked in surprise as he collided with the wall. "What?"

"Idiot!" The doctor turned tersely and quickly darted into the infirmary.

Kira felt his whole body seize up. _What's going on? Is __Athrun... _He leaned against the wall for support, clenching his fists. _Muww__ said he was badly injured, but could it be fatal? _He flinched away from the thought. He stared at the door the doctor had just disappeared behind. _What do I do, what do I do?! _Kira felt tears of frustration gather up in his eyes. _I can't do anything, I can't do anything!_ He brought his hands up to either side of his head, covering it as if there was going to be an explosion. Minutes passed by, and Kira was thinking that he couldn't take anymore, when he felt a light tap on the side of his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Kira looked up. Another one of the doctors was looking at him in concern.

"I-I don't...what's happening with that pilot?"

The doctor looked at him, concern in his own eyes.

"You must be the Strike pilot. Commander La Flaga told me this might happen. His heart just flat-lined. We're taking care of it though, so please don't be worried. He is a Coordinator, after all."

Kira looked up in shock. _Flat-lined! _He bit his lower lip.

"...will he die?"

The doctor looked at the distress in the youth's eyes, pity twisting in his heart. He couldn't lie.

"I don't know. Try not to think about it, okay? When we're all done taking care of this problem, you can go in to see him, alright? You can wait in Infirmary 2. Why don't you try getting some rest in the meantime?"

Kira nodded, and let the doctor lead him into the other infirmary. The doctor set him down on one of the beds, telling him to rest his head, and assuring him that they were doing all they could to save Athrun's life, even though he was a member of ZAFT. Kira knew that the doctor wanted him in here just in case he went into shock, but he didn't care. He watched the opposite wall intently, knowing that somewhere behind it, Athrun was struggling. He looked up to ask the doctor something, but the doctor had already left. Kira closed his eyes. He was tired. _Athrun..._

Muww cursed as he followed behind the doctor. _How could you leave him alone? Stupid! _The doctor had come to get him after Kira had had a panic attack. _I knew he was distressed. Why did I let him wander around alone! Why do I keep forgetting that he's only a teenager?! _He stopped as the doctor came to a halt in front of Infirmary 2. "He's in here." Muww nodded, stepping through the sliding door.

Kira was asleep on his side, his head resting on his arm. Muww walked carefully over to the side of the bed, concern flickering through him. The teen's face was in an expression of distress and confusion, as if he had fallen asleep unintentionally while thinking very hard. Muww felt a fatherly desire to pat Kira on the head. Reaching out his hand his hand, he rested it lightly on the tips of Kira's hair. "Poor kid..." he whispered out loud. At the sound of Muww's voice and the light touch on his head, Kira shifted, his eyelashes fluttering. Muww retreated back. _Crap! He's a light sleeper! _Kira opened his eyes fully, blinking to clear them.

"Muww?"

Muww looked at Kira. Kira looked at Muww.

"The doctor told me that you had a panic attack. I came in to check up on you."

"Oh... what happened with that pilot?! Do you know yet?!"

Muww felt his insides squirm. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The female doctor poked her head inside, looking much kinder than she had when she knocked into Kira.

"He's stable. You can come to see him now."

Kira sighed in relief, but felt another pang as he realized that he was going to have to talk to Athrun now. Muww was still looking at him, obviously wondering if he was going to be alright. Kira shot a weak smile in his direction, trying to assure him. Getting up from the bed, he walked carefully over to the door. The doctor moved aside, letting him pass through. Turning to the other door, Kira hesitated. Taking a breath to steady himself, he walked in front of the sensor. The door opened with a pneumatic hiss, and he stepped inside, unsure of what would happen next.

Kira gasped as he saw Athrun, strapped down on the bad, cords and tubes sticking out of him. It barely looked like Athrun at all. At least, not the Athrun that he remembered. His hair was sticking out at odd angles, some of it still crusted with blood. There were bandages wrapped around his head, binding some kind of head trauma. His skin was pale and clammy, and it was only emphasized by the humming fluorescent lights. His body was limp, his left side lined with bruises where the safety belt of his mobile suit had strained to keep him in place. His legs covered in bandages, blood already seeping through them. One of his legs looked twisted, like it was broken. Kira started to shake. _I allowed this to happen. Why did this have to happen?! Why?_ He glanced back at Athrun's face. He was sleeping now, but his expression was far from peaceful. Kira willed the green eyes to open. Willed the old Athrun to jump out and smile at him. Nothing happened.

Kira looked up at the steady waves and blips on the monitors around the room. The things monitoring Athrun's vital signs. They were still going, and he tried to take comfort from that. He turned to leave, but found that the door was already opening. _Must be the doctors._ Kira prepared to face them with a neutral expression, but found that there was no person coming through the door. Instead, a little green bird flew in soaring in circles. Kira's mechanical bird, looped the room twice before it landed on his shoulder, letting out a small call. "Torri!"

Kira flinched and looked back at Athrun. Athrun moaned a bit and shifted his arms. Kira held his breath, not knowing exactly what he was hoping for. Kira watched intently as Athrun's face twitched, and his eyes slowly opened. Kira stepped back a bit as Athrun blinked and gave a sweeping look around the room. Athrun's calculating look startled Kira. It was the look of a soldier. Then, Athrun's eyes fell on him. "Kira?"

Kira nodded slowly, tears coming up again. "Hi, Athrun."

Athrun blinked, his expression bleary. "Kira...why?"

Kira cringed at the tone of his friend's voice. It was desperate and sad. All the things that he himself was feeling. "Athrun, I..." He didn't finish. He didn't know why anymore.

"I don't want to be your enemy."

"I don't either!"

"Then why?"

Kira didn't know how to respond. He felt a tear crawl down his cheek. He took a deep breath. "These people, these people need my help. My friends need my help. I wouldn't be involved at all if it wasn't for that!"

Athrun nodded, suddenly remembering the words of his commander. _Irony abounds in warfare. _He closed his eyes.

"Athrun?!"

He opened his eyes again. "I know why you did it, but I can't understand how it came to this. Why are they on this ship anyway?"

Kira felt wretched. The melancholy tone Athrun had was horrible. "Athrun, I..."

Athrun closed his eyes again, too tired to keep them open anymore.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it! Let me know if there's anything wrong with it. (OOCness, length, grammer, spelling, etc.) 

Was it longer this time?


	6. Chapter 5: Turned Backs

**Disclaimer: **No, I DON'T own gundam seed.

**Note: **Yay! Nicol vision! Things are going to finally start picking up now. This is the last easy-going chapter before major stuffs start to happen. :O Oh, and I changed the spelling of Muww to Mu, so that I have a more correct spelling. I will eventually change this in the previous chapters. Eventually.

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**Reviewers get cookies, as per usual. :D YAY!!**

**Chapter 5: Turned Backs**

_On the Vesalius..._

Nicol bit his lip as he floated down one of the Vesalius's many hallways, trying not to think about the most recent events. The world seemed like it was thrown into double time, everything flying by so fast that he thought he'd never be able to catch up. He felt numb, like a piece of him had been taken away with his fallen friends. He would never again hear Miguel's arrogant remarks, Rusty's mischievous smile, or above all, Athrun's calm reassurances. He felt a hot tear run down his cheek, and he grit his teeth so hard he feared that they might crack. Nicol didn't know what he could do about his feelings. Yzak had hit things and thrown his boots and the wall. Dearka merely let it all go by putting his efforts to controlling Yzak. What could he, Nicol, do? A nasty voice answered his question by hissing at the very back of his mind.

_Nothing!_

Nicol stopped in the middle of the passageway, feeling his brain go to a stand still. If he couldn't do anything, why was he here? If he as a soldier could not even control his own emotions, then what good was he? He shook his head from side to side, fighting his own shaking body. He leaned against the window, his chest heaving. He gripped the metal guiding pole tight in his hand, letting it leave thatched prints in his skin. He wanted to get rid of his emotions. He wanted to draw them all out of him like a poison. He clutched the bar tighter with his hand, so hard that small droplets of blood formed in the air around him. Nicol felt as if he might explode, or just simply break down, right in the middle of the corridor. He stayed like that for a few more minutes, before a light tap on his shoulder made him look up.

"Nicol?"

Nicol looked up. It was Dearka, his purple eyes filled with concern.

"Hey, Nicol? Are you alright?"

Nicol felt a sudden desire to scream at him, then felt disgusted with himself. He did not scream at people. It wasn't nice. Instead he put on his usual happy voice. The smooth voice that gave away nothing but joyous innocence. "Oh, hello Dearka. What do you mean? Do I not look alright?"

Dearka scowled, confused. "Umm... yeah, you don't look alright Nicol. You looked like you were trying to break the handrail, and your eyes are all watery and your hair is all messed up. I would say that you are not alright."

Nicol looked briefly at his reflection in the window. It was true. His green hair was full of static, and looked like someone had knotted the ends. His usually clear brown eyes were glassy and unfocused, and there was a tear stain running down his left cheek. To top it off, his usually stiffly ironed uniform was wrinkled, and his white boots had large, black scuff marks on them. "Oh, I guess I don't." Nicol heard his voice crack. He was breaking.

"Erm... did you want to, talk about it, or something?" Dearka looked quite uncomfortable. He wasn't used to dealing with things like this.

Nicol clenched his fists, feeling all the negative emotions bubble up. "No thank you, Dearka, I am fine. I think I will go and fix my uniform." His words were becoming tenser and less pronounced, giving away his grief. He turned in the direction of his room, but was stopped by Dearka's hand.

"Nicol, you sound almost, angry." Dearka's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Come on, just, talk to me or something."

Nicol could hear the words in-between. _Why don't you just shout like Yzak? Why are you so soft? Why are you even in the military if you're going to break down like this? _He shook his head, and tugged lightly on the arm Dearka was holding. Dearka tightened his grip, pulling Nicol back to face him.

"Nicol." Dearka sounded firmer.

Nicol couldn't take it anymore. It was just too much. "Leave me alone!" He jerked his arm out of Dearka's hand, running down the hallway, leaving a very shocked Dearka behind.

"Nicol!"

He ignored him, running faster. He just wanted everyone to go away. He just wanted to be left alone. Was that so much to ask? He wiped his eyes, stopping as he reached his dormitory. Not really seeing the world around him, he punched the code in for the door. He sniffled as he crashed onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow. Reaching underneath his mattress, he pulled out his manuscripts. The things he held most dear in the world, besides his friends. He opened the book, flipping through the endless pages of crisp notes that he had written. He saw the song he had written for his parent's anniversary, the early ones with many crossed out notes, the songs he had written in a fever of inspiration, happy and beautiful, yet tear-jerking all at the same time. His eyes dark, he flipped to the very last pages. The blank ones. Picking up a pencil from the floor, he began to write, teardrops staining the white pages.

_On the Archangel..._

Mu waited, unsure of what to do. His first instinct was to follow Kira, to support him, but something was holding him back. He tapped his foot, watching the door that Kira had just disappeared behind. The female doctor was watching him, her features puzzled. She was obviously wondering why he wasn't following. He smiled at her reassuringly, to which she shrugged her shoulders and busied herself with changing the sheets on the bed that Kira had been sleeping on. Mu sat on a round stool, waiting for Kira to return.

Several minutes passed before Kira came back in. His bangs obstructed his eyes, and his fists were clenched. He sat down on the stool opposite Mu without a word, staring at the floor like it was his worst enemy. A moment later, his small mechanical bird flew in and landed on his shoulder, tilting its head and chirping softly. Mu felt his mouth open, but he quickly closed it again. He was at a loss as to what he should actually say. How'd it go? What happened? Are you alright? He stared at the dejected looking figure hunched on the stool, sympathy pouring out to the kid. Several moments passed without words spoken. The doctor remained as silent, quietly rearranging the medical equipment around the room. It was a long time before Kira opened his mouth to speak.

"Mu..." his voice sounded low and crackled, like someone had scraped out the inside of his throat. "I was just wondering..."

Mu tried to put as much gentleness as he could into his own voice. "Yes Kira?"

Kira swallowed and looked up, his eyes swimming pools of misery. "What's going to happen to t-the pilot?"

Mu swore there was no oxygen in the room as he struggled for an answer. How much should he tell? "Well, we're heading over to Artemis, remember? He will probably be dropped off there, and considering his relations with Patrick Zala, he will be made a hostage." _Or, they will execute him. _

Kira's eyes flashed, obviously sensing that Mu was not telling him something. "And if Patrick Zala refuses to meet their demands?"

Mu sighed and tried to regain his original easy going demeanour. "Then, I don't know. That's war for you, kid. He's not dead, and he's still an enemy, so he will probably be made, I dunno, a prisoner of war or something." Mu stopped as Kira's skin turned a pale color. "Look Kira, he's the enemy. You know that right? He tried to shoot you down. He tried to shoot us down. Don't you get it?"

Kira stood, his eyes shadowed once again. "I understand."

Mu raised his eyebrows, unsure of what Kira was going to do next. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kira answered coldly. "Yes."

Mu felt part of him drain out. "That's...good." Kira ignored him and turned out of the door without saying a word.

* * *

Er, hi! Eh heh... _looks sheepish _uh... this chapter is probably much shorter than that other one, but I have a little, ahem, writer's block on what exactly to do next. I know the plot line from here, just not how to write it down exactly... eh heh. I will write it soon as I figure out exactly what I'm going to do. Oh, yes, Nicol was a bit OOC, but if you're friend got blowed up into itty bitty pieces you'd be pretty upset too! Now that I look back on it, Kira was kinda OOC too, but I'll explain his strange behaviour in the next chapter. Thank you for being so patient! Until next chapter, bye bye! :D


	7. Chapter 6: Dreams and Conversations

**Disclaimer: o0 do not own**

**Eh, I wanted it to be longer, but I figured that everyone has been waiting for long enough, and that I should just post it already. Not too fond of this chapter, but it gets it across. So, enjoy! :D**

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Kira leaned his head back on the edge of his bed, staring at the bottom of the bunk above him. He felt a thousand emotions roiling inside of him, refusing to let him have any piece of mind. He couldn't get Athrun's woeful expression out of his mind, and worse, the few words that they had exchanged.

"_Why?"_

He rolled over, facing the wall. "That's the question that I would love an answer to at the moment." Curling up as small as possible, Kira shut his eyes, letting his mind wander. _I want to think of anything but these past few days. Anything... _An image of the younger Athrun floated in front of his vision, holding a bunch of wires in his little hands, Torri resting on his shoulder. _What happened? _Kira sniffled, clenching his fists. _What happened to us? _The image of Athrun smiled at him and ran down the cobblestone pathways of their youth. _Why did it happen this way?_

Snapping his eyes open, Kira flipped himself over so his face was buried in the pillow. He didn't want these images. He didn't want to see Athrun, he didn't want to speak to Athrun, and he didn't want to think about Athrun. _Athrun... dammit! _Kira ground his teeth, wishing he was asleep already. Shutting his eyes again, he threw the blankets over his head, breathing softly. _Athrun, I know that you're supposedly the enemy now. _He curled up even tighter, trying to get rid of the suffocating feelings inside of him. _But I sure as hell know that I can't allow you to stay in the hands of the Earth Forces. They will kill you. _With these final thoughts, he drifted off, dreaming of his younger days on the moon.

--

Athrun blinked as he found himself running through a park, his feet much smaller then he remembered them being. "Father father!" He was young, no older than nine, running down the cobblestone steps of the mansion. Rose petals floated softly through the air, making him giggle as they landed in his hair. He was just so excited, so happy! In his hand, he held a tiny electronic butterfly that he had spent hours fitting together. Each time he brushed it with his fingers, the wings fluttered and tiny optic lights lit up its clear wings. _My first invention._

His father slowly came into view, standing with his purple ZAFT coat blowing around in the gentle breeze. His face was bright with a smile as the rose petals twirled around him, curving in circles around him and the silhouette that stood next to him. Midnight blue hair crowned the beautiful face of a young woman as she leaned forward, embracing his father. _Mom..._ He ran up to them, holding up the fragile butterfly. "Mother! Father! Look what I made!" He watched as the pair slowly turned, their faces showing only joy and happiness. His mother bent down and carefully lifted his invention out of his hands, smiling at him in a way only a mother could.

"Oh my, Athrun! It's beautiful! Where did you learn to make such things?" She shone with motherly pride, waiting to hear his answer.

"I found the wires up in the attic and I made this! I just knew how mommy! It was like magic!" His nine year old self danced in a happy twirling motion, revelling in the fact that he could make such a wonderful thing. Turning to his father, he laughed, expecting to see a similar reaction. He stopped spinning suddenly as his father's face radiated pure fury, and his eyes were lit up with anger. He froze up, terrified, not really knowing what he had done wrong. "F-father?"

His father grabbed the collar of his light green sweater, pulling him close. "I don't ever want to see such things ever again, Athrun! Do you understand?!" Athrun shrunk back from him, fear beating through him. He turned to where his mother was, hoping to be saved from such anger.

But as he turned, his father's hands released his collar, and he was left with the image of his smiling mother. He sighed in relief, reaching forward to embrace her. But as soon as his hands touched her, she screamed in horrific pain, swatting his hands away. Athrun shrieked and backed away, his eyes wide with terror. "Mom!"

He watched as his mother burst into hot flames, white fire consuming her. She was convulsing and screaming; it was as if every inch of her body was in horrific pain. The butterfly that was still cupped in her hands lit up in fire, the fragile wires crackling and sizzling. White flaming wings burst from his mother's shoulders, her mouth lolling open. Her eyes burned an impossible white, her glare piercing through him. "Athrun!" Her voice was harsh and cold, not something Athrun had ever heard in her voice before. "What have you done?!" Her entire figure was now enveloped in snow white fire, her body radiating an impossible amount of heat. Her hands threw the now flaming butterfly towards him, and he screamed as it crashed into his face, the pieces falling everywhere.

With a piercing scream, Athrun woke in the infirmary of the Archangel, sweat streaming down his cheeks.

--

Mu La Flaga woke with a start from his guard station as a terrified scream echoed through the halls. _What the hell?! _He stood up, his gun cocked and ready, scanning the area. He had just dozed off while guarding the front of the infirmary. If anyone were to sneak in they wouldn't come through here; it wasn't one of the ships weak points. He felt sweat build up on the rims of his eyebrows. If there was an intruder, it was entirely possible that it was one of Athrun's comrades trying to get him back. _But they would have to know he was here... hmmm..._ Slowly, Mu lowered his gun into a resting position. Softly, he slide the hospital room door open by hand, making as little noise as possible.

The room was dark, he couldn't see anything. He edged along the wall, reluctant to turn the lights on. "Kid, you awake?" He listened carefully, waiting to hear any movement or any kind of response. A small whimper reached his ears. "Kid?" He could here the sounds of stifled sobs and laboured breathing. _What, is he crying? _"Athrun, if you are awake, answer." He reached his arm across the wall, resting it on the light switch. With a hesitant movement, he flicked it on, letting light flood the room.

Athrun was sitting up in his hospital bed. Mu could see the red marks were the leather straps had been. They now lay torn, drooping down the sides of the bed. Athrun's hands were clutching the back of his head, tugging at clumps of ragged blue hair. His body was shaking slightly, and he was tense like he was expecting some sort of impact. His face was crinkled up in anguish, his lips quivering as he bit the sides of his cheeks. Telltale streaks of moisture suggested that, moments before, tears had been trailing down his face. _What the hell? _Mu walked slowly towards the bed, waves of uneasiness passing through him. "Hey." He sat down on the edge, reaching his arm out tentatively. "You alright?" Mu watched as Athrun slowly raised his eyes to meet his, wiping his face in a somewhat scared manner.

"And you care why? Just leave me." Athrun's gaze hardened as his voice fought to keep steady. "There is nothing for me now."

Mu frowned, his insides whirling. _Why do I care? Should I care? And what is with this kid's attitude all of a sudden? _"I can't leave you because that would be contradicting my orders to guard you. I just don't want to see someone as young as you go through this kind of agony." _Well, at least I came up with something to say._

Athrun sighed and turned to face the wall. "Do you intentionally try to patronize people, or is it just by accident?"

Mu raised his eyebrows at that statement. _I wasn't trying to patronize you. Was that patronizing? You really are a confusing little kid aren't you? _He crossed his arms, considering what he should do next. What he should have done was come in and immediately redone the broken straps, then left and continued guarding. He should not have spoken to the prisoner, or stayed in his proximity for more than a moment. _I might as well try and get something out of him. Something is obviously wrong. _"A moment ago, you said that there is nothing for you now. Why do you say that?"

Athrun shifted, turning so that he was lying face up in the bed. "In case you haven't noticed, I have no use of my legs. I am useless, I am a prisoner, and I am going to die." He glared at Mu, his eyes over bright. "I would say that I have nothing for me now, wouldn't you?"

"No," Mu felt his words rise up in his throat. "I wouldn't say that. The paralysis won't be permanent; at least we don't think so. And, well, you're important, so we won't kill you." _What is wrong with me, I am comforting the enemy._

Athrun looked at him with disbelief, apparently thinking along the same lines. "What is it with you? You just can't leave things be, can you?"

That brought a slight smile to his lips. "That wasn't in the job description, so sorry, no." Mu leaned forward, trying to get a step further in the conversation. "You screamed earlier. Anything to worry about?"

Wrong move. Athrun's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "No," he said curtly, "It is nothing to worry about."

Mu winced. _I was doing so well. Might as well go along with it now. _"Hmm... you sure? You sounded really terrified. I need to know if there is a problem you know. If there's a dangerous thing in here and it gets you while I'm on duty, the Captain will kill me."

Athrun scowled at him and sighed again. "No, there is nothing in here La Flaga. You don't have to worry about intruders, the only way in besides the door is that thin air shaft, and that person would have to be pretty thin."

Mu looked up at the air vent. The kid had a point. Glancing back at the bed, he noticed that Athrun had his fists clenched tightly, and was still trying to suppress some kind of emotion. _Hmmm... he's hiding something, but I think I've spent my luck. It was a miracle he talked to me at all._ "I see. Well, if you feel the need to scream again, I'll be sitting right out there and will be sure to hear you. Goodnight." He turned and placed his hand on the light switch, pausing. _I should really strap him down again. _He thought about it for a second, then switched off the lights. _No, that can wait until the morning. _He quietly went out the door and into the hallway, leaning against the wall. There was nothing to do now but wait.


	8. Chapter 7: Distracted Determination

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.**

**Yes, I'm back now :) I's much better. Sorry about my rather dramatic exit there, kind of unnecessary, I guess. I'm sorry if you haven't received a reply and cookie for your review, I can't really do that at the moment because I have no idea where I left off. ^^; I will send you cookies if you review this time! And if you really desperately want one and you didn't get one, take one of these (holds out tray of chocolate chip cookies). Alright, I present to you, chapter seven!**

**Chapter 7: Distracted Determination **

It was done.

The pages, although smudged and slightly torn, were lined with cascades of notes and cords; coming together to make a melancholic piece that fit his mood perfectly. Nicol wiped away the remnants of tears as he carefully set the pages down, folding the corners neatly so that the pages would stick together somewhat. His pencil was just a tiny stump now, and the eraser was worn to almost nothing. Closing his eyes, Nicol placed his hands on imaginary keys, slowly starting to play.

In his mind, he could see his beautiful ebony piano, the keys sparkling white. The top had been freshly polished, and the pages before him were flat and unwrinkled. Sunlight drifted through wide glass windows, and a rose garden swayed in a gentle breeze. He was home. Each key he pressed was perfect, each note was in tune, every sound stopped at the right moment, every phrase was flawless. He sighed. It was a piano player's dream, to play like this. Faultless, calm, and uncontrolled. Perfect.

A hand reached down, resting on the surface of his piano. Startled, Nicol stopped playing and looked up. Athrun was standing there, a smile gently gracing his lips, sun falling across his face. "You play beautifully, Nicol." Athrun reached his hand down and placed it on Nicol's shoulder, unnatural light dancing in his emerald eyes. Nicol felt his eyes well up with tears.

"Athrun..."

Nicol opened his eyes. He was back on in his room. He sniffed and wiped the tears off his face. After writing all of that, he had to admit that he did feel better. Habitually, he stood and smoothed out his bedspread, tidying up the eraser crumbles and fluffing his single pillow. Sighing, he ran his hands through his now stringy green hair. He could almost accept it now, he knew that he would just have to think this through logically. _Athrun is gone. Athrun is dead. Athrun is never coming back. I can't do anything about it. _

Turning towards the door, Nicol readied himself to go out. He placed a single hand on the code lock.

_But just because you are dead, doesn't mean that I will forget you._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Kira picked at his food, uninterested in what the plate had to offer. They were starting to get down to the last bits of the freeze dried meals, which meant that the ones that no one wanted to eat before were now the only ones that you could choose from. He poked at a bit of oatmeal with his spoon, watching it bounce back with a rubbery consistency. Disgusting. Drinking the rest of his water in quick gulps, Kira dumped the half eaten food into the trash. He paused, looking towards the entrance of the cafeteria. It was early in the morning, and it looked like he was the only one awake so far. _I wonder if Athrun is awake. _Kira shook his head with these thoughts. He couldn't go back in there. He felt his guts wrench with just the thought of Athrun's mourning eyes.

_I don't want to be your enemy._

Sitting down in one of the metal chairs, Kira studied his hands. He couldn't leave Athrun here. He was certain that Athrun would end up executed if he stayed. But, he also couldn't leave, the people on this ship relied on him for protection. Mu could not handle three G-weapons by himself. In addition to all of that, Athrun would be unable to walk. _How do I get him out of here?! How do I keep him safe?! _Maybe it would be better if he waited until they were just about to hand Athrun over. Then the civilians would, logically, be able to get off the ship and wouldn't need him anymore. But that might be to risky. Maybe, if he shoved Athrun into a life pod on the ship and hoped the Zaft ship would pick him up. But that was also risky. Maybe if he...

"Kira?"

Kira started and stood as someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He turned. Fllay Allster was standing there, pink dress slightly crumpled and hair hanging down in loose red curls. _She must have just woken up. "_Oh, hello Fllay. Did you just wake up?"

Fllay nodded, her lips curving into a girlish pout. "Yes, I did, but when I woke up, no one was awake. I tried to wake Sai up but all he did was wave me away and roll over." She sat next to Kira, looking him over. "Hmm... Miriallia's right, the ZAFT uniforms are cooler." She giggled. "Not that you don't look good in it, of course."

Kira blushed and cleared his throat. He really couldn't help but enjoy her compliment. Although he would never really admit it to himself, he loved the fact that her beautiful sky blues eyes were resting on him right now. Everything about Fllay was just so cute and attractive. Her body had wonderful curves, her skin was clear, her eyes were wide and innocent. Just so lovely. He found himself just staring into her eyes, as she just stared right back at him. For a moment, he even forgot that she was already engaged to Sai. She moved a bit closer.

"Hey, Kira."

He blinked, brought out of his trance. "Yeah?"

Fllay reached out a finger and traced the edge of his arm, pulling at the sleeve. "Kuzzey told me that you were a Coordinator. Is that true?"

Kira frowned slightly. "Yes, I am."

Her eyes flashed with something that Kira couldn't decipher. "So, you're stronger? Smarter?"

Kira shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess. Why do you ask?"

Fllay sighed and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Kira felt his cheeks turn bright crimson. Fllay curved her head so that she could whisper into his ear.

"That just makes me feel so much safer. I'm so frightened about this whole thing."

Kira felt a bit of warmth spread through him. Resting his hands lightly on her shoulders, he smiled. "I'm glad that I make you feel safer Fllay, and I promise that I will continue to keep you and the rest of the ship safe."

Fllay nodded, releasing him from her hug. She stood.

"Kira, would you like to come for a walk with me? At least until the others wake up?"

Kira nodded. He wanted nothing more in the world. "Of course."

Momentarily, he had forgotten his plans to save Athrun.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Athrun concentrated, putting all of his will power into moving his legs. He had to experiment with this before one of the doctors came into check on him. A hesistant twitch seemed to spread through them, causing his toes to move slightly. He smiled in triumph. He was finally starting to heal.

* * *

**Dear dear, I did didn't I. What will Kira do with such an interesting (and annoying, yes I know, I get it) distraction. waaiit and seeeee **


	9. Chapter 8:Run Run Run as Fast as You Can

**Disclaimer: I do not own gundam seed! just a fan :)**

**Sooo okay, here's a chapter :D yyyaaaaay I can't believe I finished it lol so yeah, things have been kinda crazy with school and stuff, but I'm so happy I've gotten this through finally. **

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**Thank you guys so much for reviewing!! Now, on with the chapter!! **

Chapter 8: Run Run Run as Fast as You Can

Athrun felt his pulse rise rapidly as he realized, with unrestrained joy, that he indeed could move his legs. To an extent, mind you, but still. A catlike grin crossed his face as he felt triumph ring through him. He glanced quickly at the sliding doors, trying to be sure that no doctors would come in and surprise him. He knew that it was quite early in the morning now, and for the better part of an hour he had been working on getting the movement back in his legs. At first, it had only been a slight wiggle in his toes, and now, well, Athrun was fairly certain that he could even chance walking. That is, if his legs weren't still strapped down. He scowled. Those leather straps were such an annoyance, but Athrun didn't fail to notice that Mu had left his top one undone.

Thinking quickly, Athrun sat up, pulling at the clasps on the leather straps. There seemed to be no special mechanism for undoing them as they fell down the sides of his bed. _Perfect. _Swinging his legs over the side, Athrun tested them on the cold tile, noting that he seemed to have all the feeling back in his legs. Wincing slightly as he put weight on them, Athrun felt around the bandages to make sure that he hadn't reopened any cuts. No blood seemed to be seeping through, so he took a chance, manoeuvring around the various wires attached to his skin, and stood, putting all his weight on his feet.

Sharp agonizing pain rang out through his wounds, causing Athrun to let a whimper go unchecked for just a moment. He immediately broke into a sweat, thick rivulets of it running down the sides of his face. Gasping, he grasped on the rail of the bed to steady himself. _Not quite right, I guess. _Defeated for a moment, Athrun sat back down on his bed, monitoring the door in case someone had heard him.

_Typical, I get the feeling back in my legs, and one of the first sensations I get is pain. How useful is that? _Athrun groaned, looking again over the various instruments that monitored his life signs. _If any of the doctors notice that I have use of my legs, I probably find myself locked in a cell, which is infinitely more difficult to get out of. And, if these instruments lose contact with my body, the machine will flat-line and doctors would be here in no less than a minute. I know that my body would probably give out quite quickly if put under a high stress situation, but this may be my only chance to get away! _Athrun ground his teeth in frustration. _I suppose I should give it a try regardless; better that then freely accept my death at the hand of some self-righteous official. _

Giving the door a long, calculating look, Athrun gripped the side of the mattress, once again putting weight on his feet. He bite his lip as he felt the pain return, though it didn't seem to be as intense as it was the first time. Carefully moving all of the wires to one side, Athrun carefully pulled the IV out of his arm, turning off the flow of the saline drip. He did a check of himself, making sure his bandages were all secure. He was mildly disturbed when he observed blood seeping through a tiny bandage on his wrist, but he set aside as a minor concern. Athrun scanned the room, looking for anything that he could possibly use as a weapon. Spotting a scalpel left carelessly on the tray next to him, he swiftly snatched it and stuck it through his hair, resting it on his ear. The tangled knots served as enough support to hold the instrument up temporarily. Athrun took a deep breath and wiggled his toes, adrenaline thumping through his system. _Now, I'll give this a try. _

Wrapping his hand around the various cords attached to his body, Athrun focused his now overly bright green eyes on the door. _Alright, lets try this on the count of three. One...two...three!_

He ripped the nodes off of his body, causing the machine monitoring his heart rate and various other machines to flat line and alarms to go off. Running to the door, his hospital gown trailing like a billowing dress, Athrun hastily hacked the code lock, causing it to open in a fast swishing moment. Wasting no time, Athrun skidded into the hallway, whipping the scalpel out from behind his ear, only to find himself himself face to face with a certain blonde commander he really did not want to see at the moment.

"Woah! Hey, just where do you think you're going kid?!"

_Dammit._

---------------------------

Kira strolled through the halls, smiling in a way that could almost be considered content. It wasn't really due to anything particularly good that was going on his life, other than the wonderfully beautiful redhead that was walking alongside him, chattering on about different gossip that she had heard from other rescued civilians. It was kind of a blissful break from all the stress, and he could feel his shoulders relaxing from the sound of Fllay's soft girlish voice. He found that he wasn't actually paying attention to the things she was saying; just the entrancing sound of her voice and the way her hair trailed behind her as she walked. Occasionally she would look at him, and as knowing that he was admiring her she would grab a few strands of her hair and push them back, or she would shake her head the tiniest bit, making her hair rise up in the lack of gravity.

They stopped in the halls outside the bunks, and Kira could only look dazedly at her dazzling smile as she tapped lightly on one of the doors. Kira was confused for a moment, unsure of exactly where they were, or what they were doing for that matter. Then he remembered Fllay saying something about going to check on Sai and Tolle to see if they were awake yet. Kira sighed wistfully as low murmurs answered from the other side of the door, wishing nothing more than to wander the halls endlessly, just Fllay and him, alone.

Sai and Tolle appeared out of the room, looking rather crumpled and tired. Sai flashed him a brief smile before turning and attending to his fiancé. Tolle grinned goofily and gave Kira a hearty pat on the shoulder, offering him congratulations on his performance in the last battle. He barely heard it though, as felt Fllay's eyes on him again. She was in an embrace with Sai; Sai holding onto her and whispering sweet-nothings in her ear. She nodded and nuzzled into his shoulder, but her cool cerulean gaze was not on Sai.

It was on him.

He felt that his heart would almost stop beating.

"Kira!"

Kira flinched, brought out of his dreamlike trance to find a rather peeved looking Tolle resting a hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, trying to clear his head. "Oh, sorry Tolle, I guess I'm kinda tired. What was it you were saying?"

Tolle smiled at him. "Kinda tired, huh? Kira you look exhausted. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

Kira gave Tolle an awkward smile. "Um, no, not really. It's been really busy for me."

Tolle's forehead creased with concern. "Hmm, a rest would do you good, would you like do go back to your room? Maybe you could try catching a couple hours right now?"

Kira opened his mouth to decline, but never got to say anything as a uniformed soldier came bolting down the hallway, gun raised and ready. With practiced ease, the man slid into the hallway, hiding around the corner, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"The Coordinator has escaped! All civilians are to stay in their rooms and lock the doors immediately! Do not come out until instructed!" He turned, scowling at the teens. "That means you!"

Fllay whimpered and clung onto Sai, who tossed her into the room unceremoniously. Tolle followed after her, trying to pull Kira along with him, shouting something about "needing to hide." Kira heard none of it as the words failed to penetrate fully through his head. _The Coordinator? That means that Athrun is..._ His thoughts stopped as Sai came in front of his vision, shouting at him to move. Gunshots and shouting could be heard in the background, and Kira stood there baffled as Sai tried to move him into the room and to safety.

Then, the gunshots stopped.

Sai stopped shouting and looked up fearfully, clinging onto Kira. The soldier merely raised his gun a few inches, listening intently for any on coming people.

Then sure enough, a clank sounded as a person glided effortless through the hallways, coming to a halt down the middle. Blood had stained his white hospital gown and his face, but there was no doubting who it was by the unreal blue hair and wild emerald eyes.

Kira watched as Athrun slide up against the wall, forming into a more stealthy position, a bloody scalpel in one hand, an Earth Forces Machine Gun in the other.

_Athrun._

* * *

_R & R Please :) loves guys!!_


	10. Chapter 9: Breathe

**Disclaimer: I don't own gundam seed. Not even a little bit.**

Sorry for the wait guys! I just wanted to thank you all for being such awesome readers even though I suck so bad when it comes to updating. This isn't much of an update; not very long. It was originally longer but I cut off the next little bit because I liked this cliffhanger better than the other one I had. The next update shouldn't be too much longer from now, considering that it's practically half done already. Thank you all again for being so patient. *cookie shower*

Review and I'll give you a cookie?

Breathe

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

Athrun was barely holding himself together. It felt like any moment he would collapse. His leg felt like there was fire burning through it, and the pain alone was making his vision warp and spin, without his head injury contributing to it as well. He couldn't really remember what had happened last. All he knew was that blood was dripping down his face, and that his hands were absolutely soaked in it. He was also aware that the blood wasn't all his. The weight in his other hand told him that he had also acquired a gun at some point.

_Turn corner._

_Grab railing._

_Push forwards._

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

He needed to find escape pods, back-up shuttles, mobile suits, mobile armors...anything that would allow him to get out of here and back to a Zaft ship safely. The major problem with that was that this was a new earth forces vessel; one that they didn't have any intelligence on. He had no idea where they might be keeping such things.

_Turn corner._

_Gun shots._

_Aim weapon. _

_Fire weapon._

"There he go..AHHH."

"Shit! CATCH HIM!"

Everything was starting to get very strange. Athrun almost felt as though he was looking through an old glass telescope; where the edges of the lense were all blurry but the center was as clear as day. He knew that he was gliding across the floor very quickly, pushing himself off of walls and windows, and he knew that he was gaining distance; where to or from he couldn't say. His limbs felt strangely empty, and it almost felt as if he were just a passenger in his body, and wasn't the one controlling it.

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

It was really only a matter of time before they caught him. And part of him knew that. He would even go so far to say as part of him accepted it. This was an incredibly stupid idea; there was no way that he could've hoped to escape in his condition. The only thing he gained from this venture was the knowledge that this vessel was huge.

_Turn corner. _

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

_Footsteps heard; corridor to left._

_Kneel down._

_Aim._

_Wait._

* * *

Kira held his breath as he watched Athrun pull his gun up to point in their direction. From what he could see, Athrun was breathing heavily, and several of his wounds had opened up and were now bleeding. Kira knew that Athrun wasn't going to last long in that condition; coordinator or not. He felt light-headed as he thought of the many ways his friend could die, right before his eyes.

The soldier in front of them was leaning up against the wall, his eyes strategically placed on Athrun, his gun resting just along the corner. The moment Athrun started to advance, Kira had no doubt that the soldier would fire, and that would be the end of everything.

"Kira!"

Kira turned around to see Sai again, tugging on his sleeve and hissing through his teeth that they needed to get into the room. But it was like Kira wasn't actually hearing him, as if his mind were a million miles away, and his body had suddenly developed al life and goal of its own.

"Give me a moment." He heard his own voice and felt his mouth move, but couldn't really comprehend what he was doing. He watched as his legs carried him past Sai and up to the corner where the soldier was resting. He could still hear Sai whispering at him, but his mind was dismissing it as unimportant.

"Sir, would you please return to the room with the others. This coordinator is very dangerous, I don't want you to get injured."

Kira blinked as he turned to see the soldier tilting his head in his direction, gesturing to the room behind him. He felt his mouth move again.

"I am also a coordinator. I can deal with him."

The soldier looked at him in shock, but as he met Kira's gaze something changed. The soldier could have sworn that there was something different about this child now, something that he had not noticed before. He moved to the side, letting Kira pass him and make his way out into the open hallway.

* * *

_Can't breathe._

_Can't breathe._

_Brain...needs...oxygen._

Athrun felt his chest heaving up and down, as if he could force more air into his own body. There was a problem, and Athrun didn't doubt that it had something to do with the recent strain on his body mixed with damaged ribs. His senses were slowly fading from him, and soon all he could see was the tip of his gun; pointed in the direction of an unknown enemy.

_Must breathe._

_Can't breathe. _

_God...oxygen..._

_Oxygen...can't breathe_

_Can't breathe..._

_Can't breathe..._

_Can't...breathe_

_...footsteps?_

He blinked. There was someone standing at the end of the hallway with him.

_Blue...uniform? Earth forces? _

_...unarmed..._

_...who?_

Trying to squint only made it harder to see, so Athrun had to make due with a blurry version of the person in front of him. His instincts were telling him that this person was unarmed, and that he should take immediate advantage of that. Options popped up in his mind; take hostage, kill, injure, threaten, among others. But something stirred in him. Something, in a tiny little voice was begging him not to harm this person. In his delirious state, it almost sounded like a child's voice.

_He's a friend!!!_

Athrun shook his head, trying in vain to clear the black spots hovering in the way. Sweat trickled down his forehead, making his already greasy hair stick to the sides of his face and stick up in odd directions. The strange person was slowly advancing, but Athrun could see no sign of a weapon in their hand. There was some low noise coming from their direction, but all Athrun could hear was quiet murmurs. He tensed, gun still pointed firmly.

_I should shoot. I should shoot. Why aren't I shooting?!! Please pull the trigger, please, please...pull...trigger. _

His thoughts were getting jumbled. His vision was getting worse. He had to fire the weapon, or it was likely that this person would kill him.

_He's a friend!!!_

His finger was on the trigger.

_He's a friend!!!_

He just had to pull it a little further.

_Please...shoot._

Just a little more pressure. Just a little more pressure and he would be safe.

_Just shoot!_

What was stopping him?

_Don't shoot!_

His finger twitched.

_SHOOT!_

_HE'S A FRIEND!_

A pair of arms grabbed him from behind.

He fired.


End file.
